Hi Dr. Holodiny,
I have just a couple of questions concerning HIV and AIDS, and am hoping you can help.

I saw where you said that you didn't think a person could transmit HIV through mucous or "snot" as the writer put it. 1) In the instance where a male has had a vasectomy, and there are no active sperm in his ejaculate, can the virus be transmitted in the spermless fluid? 2) Would the absence of sperm have any impact on the liklihood of transmission to another person?

3) If a person has regular unprotected sex with an infected person over an extended period of time, and does not become infected themselves, would there be any benefit in transfusing the blood of the uninfected partner into the infected partner? Would the lack of infection in the uninfected partner indicate some resistance to the virus from which the infected partner could benefit?

Thank you in advance for your help. You and the other Docs on TheBody.com are EXCELLENT. Complete concise information, and probably the BEST public service that you could provide!

Response from Dr. Holodniy

1. Yes, viral load is present in seminal fluid without sperm or other cells.
2. I don't think transmission data has been broken down by vasectomy vs. nonvasectomy to answer the question directly.
MH

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